“Ochotorena was more than a goalkeeping coach, he left an indelible mark on everyone”

Former Valencia CF goalkeepers such as Jaume Domènech, Andrés Palop and José Manuel Sempere, who shared time with Valencia CF legend José Manuel Ochotorena, spoke on l’Informatiu of VCF Media Radio about his great impact at the Club and as a person.

Jaume Domènech

“We woke up to this news and it’s very hard. We were together for 12 years, day by day. He promoted me from VCF Mestalla to the first team. We had a very close relationship, far beyond the professional side. On a personal level, we shared many points of view, our values were very similar. During this process, I visited his house several times - he’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met and he fought until the very end. As a goalkeeping coach, he always stayed away from the spotlight, never wanted protagonism. He’s the best goalkeeping coach in history. He acted as a psychologist, he prepared you for what you could face in matches, objectives… he made you visualize all kinds of scenarios. He helped me a lot. He gave you peace and calm. Everyone who worked under him improved their performance. He’s an example of resilience. He has left an indelible mark on all the goalkeepers and on Valencia CF. He was a great Valencianista. He was much more than a goalkeeping coach.”

Andrés Palop

“It’s a very sad day. He meant a lot to all of us. All this makes you very sad. We shared many moments and situations. We lost someone who had so many good qualities, far too soon. His support was fundamental for me. He kept me going in difficult times. When I signed for Sevilla FC, I kept calling him because I needed his advice and his words. They gave me life and motivation. He was always there when I needed him. In the Spanish national team he was also with us and was very important. I have an anecdote with him: Luis Aragonés called me to summon me and I couldn’t believe it, and then Ochotorena got on the phone telling me it was serious. He believed in me. He was like a father to me. He gave me the right and necessary advice to perform at my best level.”

José Manuel Sempere

“I’m young and these things really affect you. He was a very serious, professional, disciplined person who loved his work. We coincided for four years - three with Espárrago and one with Hiddink. We had a great friendship. We accepted our roles and were happy for each other’s success. You feel like a part of you is gone. Technically he was very good. He completed me as a goalkeeper. He gave me something extra beyond what I already knew. We always shared a room, sat together, went for walks… we were very good friends. We talked about everything; he was a very pleasant person.”